CISL Scientific Data Curation Consultant

Job Description Summary:UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Computational & Information Systems Lab’s (CISL) Data Engineer II - Scientific Data Curation Consultant. This position will work both independently and on collaborative teams with data and software engineers, as well as scientists. The CISL Scientific Data Curation Consultant will be responsible for developing and maintaining research data management services, and assisting with the implementation of data management tools and applications. These efforts support CISL’s Research Data Archive (RDA), which supports atmospheric and Earth systems science research, as well as the forthcoming data commons environment.

CISL's mission is to support and advance the Earth system sciences by providing world-class computing environments, data services, and research in computational science.

Position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:

Yes

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Job Location:

Boulder, Colorado

Position Type & Term:

Full time, Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

Compensation Range:

$94,406 - $118,006

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.*

Application Notes

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59:59pm, Tuesday, May 6. Applications will not be accepted past this date/time.

Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format): 

• Resume

• Questionnaire - (to be completed when submitting your application) In lieu of a traditional cover letter, the hiring team wants to learn more about your skills/experiences regarding very specific questions related to the critical skills needed to be successful in this position.  Your responses to these questions will be read and weighed equally to your resume, so please ensure you're providing detailed, yet informative, responses based on your previous work experiences.  That being said, we encourage you to keep responses to 2 - 4 paragraphs.

  • Describe a time when you designed or maintained a data management workflow for scientific or Earth system science data. What tools or technologies did you use, how did you ensure data integrity and usability, and what was the outcome or impact of your work?

  • The RDA emphasizes metadata creation and long-term data curation. Please share your experience with metadata standards (e.g., CF-Conventions, ISO, NetCDF) and how you've applied them in a project or data archive environment.

  • This position includes responding to user inquiries about complex, often large-scale atmospheric or geoscience datasets. Describe a time when you helped a user access, interpret, or troubleshoot scientific data. What type of data or format was involved, what tools or platforms did you use, and how did you ensure the user’s needs were met?

Relocation Assistance Eligible: Partial relocation available (must live beyond a 50-mile radius of a UCAR operating site).

Position Type & Term: Full-Time, Term - 2 years with the possibility of extension

Background checks are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location Expectations:  This position is open to candidates seeking in-person and/or hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote) opportunities. 

What You Will Do

Here is a summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Key Responsibilities

RDA Data Management Support & Curation

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and configure data ingest systems that download, receive, and archive atmospheric and geosciences data from a variety of sources.

• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of scalable data management workflows - using both standard software tools and custom-developed strategies to acquire new data sources and extend existing datasets.

• Develop, document, and maintain workflows that transform data from native formats into structures optimized for long-term curation support, including supporting anticipated user workflows.

• Work with data providers and internal tools to create standards-compliant discovery metadata and file-level metadata. Ensure preservation of acquisition, processing, and archival status information within version-controlled systems.

• Develop and maintain tools and scripts - primarily in Python or other relevant languages - to perform automated integrity checks and validate metadata completeness, ensuring gap-free archives.

• Participate in strategic planning and cross-functional initiatives to expand repository content, improve workflow automation, and scale systems for robust, long-term support.

• Apply FAIR data principles and data governance best practices to ensure datasets are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

RDA User Access Support & Engagement

• Develop backend systems that enable efficient data access, integrating scientific read software with metadata databases to support diverse user needs.

• Contribute to the integration of community-supported data access services and APIs into the RDA’s portfolio of user access options.

• Respond to user inquiries related to assigned dataset collections, providing technical assistance and domain-specific guidance.

• Participate in outreach activities aimed at raising awareness of repository holdings and services, especially among new or underrepresented user communities.

• Contribute to the creation of user-facing documentation, metadata guides, and usage examples that enhance accessibility and usability.

• Collaborate with cross-organizational teams, contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives, and lead small working groups as needed.

Additional Opportunities

• While the position has no formal supervisory duties at present, the individual may be responsible for supervising students or mentoring lower-level data engineers as projects and staffing needs evolve.

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a field that requires experience with Earth science, data storage, and computer data processing;

• 4 - 8 yrs of progressive and relevant professional work experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficient in Linux/UNIX-based environments, with advanced skills in Python and associated data libraries (e.g., Xarray, Pandas, Dask), and the ability to learn new programming languages and tools as needed.

• Experience with scientific data processing and stewardship, including Earth science data collection, quality control, metadata creation, and long-term curation practices.

• Familiar with compiled programming languages and software engineering best practices such as version control (Git/GitHub), testing, and iterative development.

• Working knowledge of data structures and formats, metadata standards, and scientific conventions used in geoscience or environmental datasets.

• Skilled in working with relational and unstructured databases, including Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) workflows and API-driven data access.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical processes to diverse stakeholders and document complex workflows.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams, contribute to strategic planning, and support robust, scalable, and automated data systems.

• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development, with the flexibility to adapt to evolving technologies, research needs, and user expectations.

• Experience in user support and community engagement, including responding to inquiries, conducting outreach, and promoting awareness of repository resources.

• Willingness to mentor or supervise junior staff or students, fostering skill growth and knowledge sharing within the team.

Desired, but not required:

• Demonstrated experience with software containerization.

• Atmospheric or ocean sciences related background and demonstrated experience working with meteorological, or related geoscience data including NetCDF, BUFR, Zarr, and GRIB based formats, and the application of CF-Conventions.

• Experience working with relational databases.

• Demonstrated experience working with High Performance and Cloud Computing environments.

• Experience providing user support.

• A drive to support and enhance weather and geosciences related research capabilities.

Benefits Overview 

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits. In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance,  UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

• Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities

• UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one

• Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions)

• 10 paid holidays

• 10 days of sick leave each year

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave

• Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary

• EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost

Commitment to Job Application Fairness

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

Some Final Considerations

At UCAR|NCAR|UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science  problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy. Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Visa Wait Times

Please consider the length of visa procurement when applying for this posting, understanding that you will not be able to begin employment until you are able to get a visa and enter the U.S.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing the way society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.